Volume Thirteen - Pre-Victorian to the Present Day - Penarth - born of the economic and geological shift from iron to coal. . . . .

The Marquess of Bute, John Crichton-Stuart, [1793-1848] was the major landowner throughout Glamorganshire and controlled extensive coal and iron interests. His estate included large swathes of land much of which was situate within the South Wales coalfield. However, rather than undertaking mineral extraction, Bute gained revenue by leasing out the mineral rights of his land.

In 1782, a customs officer at Cardiff stated that 'We have no coal exported from this port, nor ever shall, as it would be too expensive to bring it down here from the internal part of the country.' This was due to the fact that at this time, transport links were primitive and not suited for mass transportation of goods between Merthyr, Aberdare and the coastal wharfs at Cardiff.

Only sixteen years later, in 1798, the completion of the Glamorganshire Canal through to Sea Lock at Cardiff opened the trade route for the importation of iron ore and the exportation of manufactured iron goods and coal, as well as other produce.

Benjamin Heath Makin [1769–1842] travelled through Glamorganshire in 1803 and 1806 and commented 'The canal is esteemed a remarkable instance of art triumphing over the obstacles thrown in its way by nature' ; a tribute, indeed, to its talented engineer Thomas Dadford [1730-1809].

Dadford was the engineer and contractor for the Glamorganshire Canal, that is until a dispute in 1794 with the Company of Proprietors of the Glamorganshire Canal Navigation and his company officials were arrested for alleged fraud and overpayment, however, these matters were subsequently resolved in favour of Dadford and he and his company were exonerated.

Makin commented during his travels that the Melingriffith Tinplate Works at Tŷ-mawr Road, Whitchurch, Cardiff, which was founded prior to 1750, 'was perhaps the largest in the Kingdom' ; it was, in fact, the largest tin-plate works in the world by the end of the 18th century and the canal passed alongside the works for its convenience.